Features 
/ Dan Fitch / 07 April 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Not half as much fun without a bet.
On the eve of the Grand National, Dan Fitch looks at some of the weirdest and wackiest bets ever placed on the event.
The Grand National is one the most thrilling sporting events in the world, but it's not nearly as much fun to watch if you haven't placed a bet on the race.
Millions of pounds are staked on the race each year and behind some of those bets are a few very strange stories. Here are six weird and wacky Grand National bets.
In 1993, Judy Higby from St Albans tried to place a bet on the Grand National not being run that year, having had a premonition that the race would be called off. The bookmaker told her (in what we would imagine was a quite patronising tone) that he wouldn't take her bet, as such a scenario was impossible.
Needless to say that the bookie found himself relieved, if not a little humbled, when the race was cancelled after a series of false starts.
One of the greatest things about the British is our sense of optimism. Take 54-year old amateur jockey Peter Walker for instance, who in 1993 placed a bet on a rank outsider very close to home.
Not content with sticking a couple of quid on a useless nag like so many National punters, Mr Walker bet on himself to one day become the oldest jockey to compete in the race and was given odds of 1000/1. Some eighteen years have passed since that wager was placed, so it's probably fair to say that the betting slip can now be torn up.
When Monty's Pass won the 2003 Grand National, his owner Mike Fuller had more reason that most to be delighted with the victory. Almost one million reasons in fact...
The bingo hall tycoon won nearly £1m on the race. The biggest individual bet he placed on his horse was for £10,000 at odds of 50/1, which alone won Fuller £500,000.
Back in 2001, a famous online bookmaker (who we won't be so unkind as to name) launched a version of their site in China shortly before the Grand National. The directors of the firm were apparently so busy rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of all the renminbi coming their way, that they failed to study the local market.
For tradition and superstition play a much bigger part in Chinese gambling than the form book. Red is considered to be the luckiest colour of all and amongst the runners was a horse named 'Red Marauder' at a price of 33/1. All 2000 of the new Chinese customers placed bets on Red Marauder, who of course romped home to leave the bookmaker severely out of pocket.
In 1871, Lord Poulett had a dream one night that his horse The Lamb would win the Grand National and would be ridden to victory by the jockey Tommy Pickernell.
As omens go it was a good one, but the only problem was that Tommy Pickernell did not actually ride for Lord Poulett. So in an effort to make his dream come true, Poulett hired Pickernell to ride The Lamb. They started as the 11/2 favourite and won the race, leaving the bookies cursing Lord Poulett's dream.
The Grand National is an event that the whole country takes an interest in. This popularity sees many people placing a bet on the race, who don't gamble at any other time of year. There is normally one horse that is labeled as 'the housewives' choice', due to the fact that a lot of money is bet on a horse, based on it's name rather than any detailed betting analysis
In 1992 the bookies were left to rue the fact that their was a horse named 'Party Politics' running in the National, during the same week that a General Election took place. Ridden by Carl Llewellyn, the 14/1 shot became the most expensive housewives choice for the bookmakers, as it won by two and half lengths.
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